Census

Why we have a census

Scouts carry out an annual census to create a detailed picture of the young people and adults that make up our membership. It's not just about how many members we have, it's also our chance to find out about the diversity and make up of Scouts in our communities.

Knowing who our members are helps inform the services we provide to meet the needs of our members, so it's important you provide us with the most accurate details possible about Scouts in your community.

The youth census figures also inform the payment of the UK HQ Membership Fee and associated membership fees at each level of the movement.

Getting more help with the census

We’ve written guides for each of the census return types and also have FAQs to help answer any questions you have. If you've never done the census before or want to prepare for it, we suggest reading through the return guides first.

You can also get assistance from the Scout Support Centre by emailing [email protected] or get in touch via Live Chat by clicking on the purple ‘Support’ button in the bottom left corner of the webpage.

Collecting adult data for census 2026

For 2026, adult data will be taken directly from My Membership – removing the need for you to collect this data. There will be no changes to youth and governance data. This will still need to be collected and input on the census system.

To help you prepare, there are a couple of actions you can take now:

•  Make sure your Group/Section data is correct on My Membership – including recording any which have opened or closed.

•  Think about the youth data and make sure your local records are up to date.

•  Complete your own profile on My Membership and encourage other volunteers to do this too – make sure roles are up to date and personal data is submitted. Take a look at our digital tool guides for help completing or updating this information.

In the coming months, we’ll continue to share more details on this and any other changes to the 2026 census.